d the barbarous rustications of modern times, (although
indeed this instance is not without exception to be received, for
the majesty of these rocky buildings depends also in some measure
upon the real beauty and finish of the natural curvilinear
fractures, opposed to the coarseness of human chiselling,) and
again, as it respects works of higher art, the pleasure of their
hasty or imperfect execution is not indicative of their beauty, but
of their majesty and fulness of thought and vastness of power. Shade
is only beautiful when it magnifies and sets forth the forms of fair
things, so negligence is only noble when it is, as Fuseli hath it,
"the shadow of energy." Which that it may be, secure the substance
and the shade will follow, but let the artist beware of stealing the
manner of giant intellects when he has not their intention, and of
assuming large modes of treatment when he has little thoughts to
treat. There is large difference between indolent impatience of
labor and intellectual impatience of delay, large difference between
leaving things unfinished because we have more to do, or because we
are satisfied with what we have done. Tintoret, who prayed hard, and
hardly obtained, that he might be permitted, the charge of his
colors only being borne, to paint a new built house from base to
battlement, was not one to shun labor, it is the pouring in upon him
of glorious thoughts in inexpressible multitude that his sweeping
hand follows so fast. It is as easy to know the slightness of
earnest haste from the slightness of blunt feeling, indolence, or
affectation, as it is to know the dust of a race, from the dust of
dissolution.

CHAPTER XI.

GENERAL INFERENCES RESPECTING TYPICAL BEAUTY.

Sec. 1. The subject incompletely treated, yet admitting of general
conclusions.

I have now enumerated, and in some measure explained those
characteristics of mere matter by which I conceive it becomes agreeable
to the theoretic faculty, under whatever form, dead, organized, or
animated, it may present itself. It will be our task in the succeeding
volume to examine, and illustrate by examples, the mode in which these
characteristics appear in every division of creation, in stones,
mountains, waves, clouds, and all organic bodies; beginning with
vegetables, and then taking